From Malta with love
Obituaries
Sr Natalia Calleja fcj - Born: September 7 1940; Died: February 28 2025
Sister Natalia Calleja, a member of the community of Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus at Lockleys, was born in Malta and entered the convent when she was 15 years old.
She remained in Malta when her family migrated to Australia because of her intention to join the congregation but after her profession she was sent to Australia to be close to her family.
Sr Natalia was stationed at MacKay, Queensland, and looked after the frail and elderly at St Francis of Assisi home for the Aged. Later she was asked to help out at bishops’ residences – first in Rockhampton and then at Wollongong in NSW. She loved and respected the bishops and priests and never tired of assisting with whatever was necessary.
Several years later Sr Natalia was asked to come to Adelaide to help out in the Regional House. There, her duty was to cook and she was always happy to provide for the community and to cater for the Sisters who visited from interstate, especially during regional assemblies and other congregational gatherings.
In her latter years, Sr Natalia learned how to make Ganutell, a Maltese art form of creating artificial flowers. It requires a lot of patience and perseverance but she made many bouquets and was overjoyed when she presented one of her bouquets to Our Lady of Victories at the parish church.
Sr Natalia respected and became friends with parishioners wherever she served and they in turn respected and loved her. She was also a woman of prayer and could be found in the chapel praying the rosary when her duties were completed.
When her health declined recently she was advised to go to the congregation’s nursing home, St Raphael, where she could be looked after as well as being close to the Sisters of her community and the wonderful, caring staff who looked after her needs with lots of love, patience and dedication.
We thank God for her 60 years of a much-dedicated life and we present her soul to God where with all the angels and saints, her parents, siblings, relatives and many friends she will reap the harvest of eternal life.
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